Under the Moonlight
by CarthageGuardian
Summary: Kevin arrives at Kadic, pursued by mysterious men. And then he finds someone he thought only appeared in his dreams. Is there a connection between both? Can he find it?
1. Nobility

**Okay, so hi everyone. This is my first story, hope you like it. Not much CL here, but promised for next chapters. Powerful hints here, pay attention. R&R please. Thanks for the attention.**

**I'd also like to thank Coldplay, for** **playing Viva La Vida through this whole chapter (Addicted XD) and LabyrinthDweller and Laura Gallego Garcia to help me create Kevin (I love you Reese and Kirtash!)**

**--**

_I am not a king, and people are not my subjects. However, shall they need, my sword will protect them and my fist would deliver justice. _

_My justice._

--

The harsh Winter wind hit my face with the strength of a whip. They were forecasting a blizzard for tomorrow. I clasped the collar of my coat closer to my neck. The fire kanji print in red on my black sweater wouldn't shield me from the cold gale.

I was on my way home, after another day of school. I was really happy. My grades were promising for the trimester and the Winter break was about to start. This was sure to get my mom happy.

That time, only God knew that wouldn't last long.

On my way, I crossed a dark alley from were I heard a noise. A quiet shriek, to be precise. _Dark alley… it's always a dark alley._ I quickly hid behind a dumpster, watching the scene.

A boy my age, which I recognized as being a bully from school, was doing just guess what? Bullying a little girl, about nine or ten years old. She was curled on the ground, back against the alley wall, shivering with fear, her light brown hair all messed up. Glass shards were all over her. The guy had broken a bottle in the wall, and was pointing her a pointy edge of the bottle.

"Come on, give me that money!" The girl just let out a shaky shriek. That bastard… I looked at the palm of my right hand glove. Kouketsu. Nobility. No second thoughts now.

You know those times when you want to do something but your body refuses? Or when your body acts without your vote in the matter? You start feeling weak and doubtful, wondering if you can really do it.

However, when your mind screams an unquestionable order and your body is fully willing to obey, you feel strong and confident, not thinking about the consequences of your acts.

I was like that when I ran full speed to the bully. I didn't care what would happen. This is now, the present, what shapes and forms the person you are going to be. I wasn't going to be a coward. I tackled him away from the girl with full force, knocking him down to the piled snow. I gave him a few punches, only to exhaust him, and only stopped after he was desperately sucking hair with his mouth.

I got up and walked to the girl. She still was curled around herself, both panicked and, as I soon discovered, cold. However, a moment before I talked to her, I heard a quiet footstep behind me. Turning around, I found the bully with his trusty bottle. Before I could react, he slashed my face with the remains of the ruined container. I felt blood running in my forehead, left eye and cheek. A savage punch flew directly to his nose, and he was knocked out for good.

Closing my injured eye I lowered to look the girl in the eyes. She had black, fear-filled eyes. "Hi. Where do you live?"

Her voice was as shaky as… no, shakier than jelly. "F-f-f-far f-f-from h-here…"

"Don't worry, I won't hurt you. Are you cold?" She nodded. I took off my cape (which people normally called long coat) and wrapped it around the girl. "You think you can tell me the way?" She nodded fearfully. I held her hand and was guided by her to her house.

Her house wasn't all that far away, but from the girl's short-statured point of view, a small distance would be far away. The normal-sized house had a small snow-covered garden surrounded by a green fence. I rang the bell and waited until a young woman, only a few years older than me, opened the door. Before even talking, she recognized the girl and ran to her, finishing with a tight hug.

Tears suddenly stung my eyes. No, I wasn't touched. Really! It was the wind!

…Okay, maybe I was a bit touched. But only _a bit_.

The woman looked at me with gratefulness and inquisition in her eyes. Before either of us could talk, the girl, sobbing, got the attention of the woman.

"Lily, come on, it's alright… It's you big sis, see… Tell me what happened…"

"T-there was a bad man scaring me, a-and then this nice man came to rescue me…" She was sobbing all the time and finished by quietly crying on her sister's shoulder. She gently held her sister, stood up and looked at me, her eyes filled with emotion.

"Thank you very much. May I have your name?" I shook my head. "Well then, I think this is yours…" She tried to unwrap the cape from around Lily. I put my hand on her shoulder.

"Keep it. I have more." Yes, four more to be exact. I turned to my house and silently left the scene, while both sisters entered their house.

--

I regretted it. I arrived home almost frozen solid, and immediately went next to the fireplace. _Mental note: prints on shirts are just that, prints. _My grandpa was in the sofa, reading a book.

"Who defeated Hannibal?" He asked, looking over his book. I rolled my eyes.

"General Cornelius Scipio Africanus Major." Every time I entered in his area of sight, he asked me something related with computer programming or the Second Punic War. Computer programming. The Second Punic War. What in the whole freaking world could connect both?

"How are you today? Had a good day at school?" Except for those random questions, I loved my grandpa. Seriously. He had been a scientist and worked on something I'm not really sure what is, because he avoids those questions. He spent all the time I could with him, both when I was a child and now, as a teenager.

"Yeah, always "learning" the same boring stuff that I already know." Yes, I am a good student! Haha, you wouldn't think that from a 14 year-old that dresses like a goth kid, would you? Because no, I'm not a goth. Dressing in black, hearing loud music and being alone most of the time doesn't make you a goth.

"Well, you have a whole month to rest from now on." A small hesitation. "Have you found her today?"

"God have mercy, I already told you I'm not a child anymore!" I said, turning around to face him. Yeah, I was a child, so this should be a long story. Wanna hear it anyway? Okay, just don't complain.

When I was 4 or 5 year old, my grandpa used to tell me those stories where the hero has, just _by coincidence_, your name. Well, that story was of a knight named Kevin, who had to fight four evil witches, Xandrea, Naomi, and the twins Annabella and Annabelle. After that he had to go to a white tower surrounded by red fog and save a princess with pink hair. _Pink hair. _Not a problem whatsoever, but what was the probability of finding a pink-haired girl?

After one of those stories, I happily said that I'd find my princess, and she would have pink hair too. From that day on, my gramps would sometimes ask if I had found a pink-haired girl. Pretty lame, huh?

…Okay, not such a long story. My ability to summarize is pretty good.

But now, instead of smiling slyly, he grabbed my arm, dragged me to the bathroom and splashed water all over my face. Before I could spit a word, he squeezed some paste from a tube and rubbed my face.

"What the heck is going on here?" He finally had let me breathe and pointed the mirror to me. After a look, I became shocked.

A deep, red cut made his way from the left of my forehead all the way down to the middle of the cheek. I closed my left eye. The slash had travelled through my eye. A scar that would mark this day forever.

"How did you…" My gramps managed to say. "No, you'll tell this to you mother too."

I was taken from the bathroom to the kitchen, where I sat down. My mother quickly served the dinner and my little adventure became the whole theme of conversation. After I told them what happened I readied to be grounded.

"You could have avoided the violence, you know? But for the rest I am very proud of you." My grandpa's words relieved my spirit. After helping with the dishes and the trash, I flew to my room. I still heard a police officer ringing the bell and talking to my mother. Rejoice, for the first time a bully went to the police for being bullied!

I turned on the radio, started a CD and fell on my bed. I just stayed there, while the first track played. After that I took my drawing book from under my bed. I opened it. On the first page were some random sketches, so I turned that page.

A wide smile greeted me on the second page. My first face drawing on that book. My mother. I drew my mother and grandfather a lot for training. Full body or only face, front or side-view, both dominated the first pages, followed by landscapes. The house, the road in front of it, an emerald sea of trees, a mountain that sliced the clouds… Those drawings were the first I drew recurring only to my imagination. When I reached half of the book, I took a deep breath.

Turning the page, I came upon a girl's face. A girl that existed only in my imagination, on my wildest dreams, on my past as a child.

A girl with pink hair.

--

I woke up at 9 A.M. next day. I proceeded my morning routine, and went downstairs, already bathed and dressed. I made my toast and tea in the kitchen, all by myself. My mother had already left for work, and Gramps should still be asleep. After that I sank on the couch and turned on the TV. My mother arrived at half past twelve and jumped to the kitchen to make lunch. Gramps was… disturbed. He had spent all morning peeking through the window, only after locking the door tightly. He even forgot to ask me his trivia question! How weird is that?

As to calm my nerves, the rest of the day went smoothly, because the blizzard never came and no one came to visit.

--

The next day had a dark omen surrounding it, like a flock of crows flying over a dead carcass. I couldn't sleep, so I was eating my breakfast at half past seven. Soon I discovered my family also felt the obscure forewarning. Gramps was even more troubled than yesterday, and Mom was a little restless herself. I had a feeling they were hiding something.

Later, at night, the discomfort I was experiencing reached its climax. Gramps was looking out of the window when he came talk to me.

"Kevin, pack a bag and prepare to leave. Now."

"But why? To where? What are you hiding from me?"

"Not now. Go on, do what I told you."

I reluctantly packed a bag. Clothes, underwear, toothbrush and paste, my notebook, a few pencils and a rubber, my two favourite CD's. I returned next to my grandfather. He pointed to something outside and we both walked there. Only a few blocks away, two bald men dressed in black and wearing sunshades walked on the sidewalk, apparently coming here. My grandfather clasped his hands on my shoulders and looked at me in the eyes. I had never seen him so serious and… scared?

"You saw those men, didn't you?" I nodded. "Run away from them. Here, take this…" He handed me a big piece of folded paper. "I've marked where you should go. Don't speak to anyone. Just run. Hide. Don't tell your name until you reached your destination. There, look for the boss and tell him you're my grandson." Before I noticed, we were next to the backyard door.

"And then…?" I sniffed. I was 14. I was a simple teen. I wouldn't make it. But I had to try. For Gramps. For Mom.

"Live. And don't come back. They'll be after you." I hugged my old man, then my mom.

"Here, take this." She put a bag with food and some money in my bag.

"Go. Don't worry about us." I closed my eyes to stop the tears and ran out of the door to leave that place. Forever.

Through the woods I ran, the full moon watching each and every one of my steps, my feet tripping on stones and roots, the snow on the pine-trees falling straight on my head. I had to leave everything.

Mom. Her sweet smile and comforting words would follow me forever, along with her image.

Gone.

Gramps. His weird trivia quizzes, his stories and fictional characters, his sly smile and our friendly verbal fights.

Gone.

Lily. The sweet little girl that had lost her hero now had nobody to protect her.

Gone.

All gone. Forever.

_Why?_

_Because of them._

_The Men in Black._

_No… Not anymore. They aren't just that…_

_They are another thing besides that…_

_My sworn enemy._

_--_

From my counting of the days, Winter break would have ended two or three days ago. I checked the map again. The gray, nameless shapes on the paper gave me zero hints about what my destination would be. And I would have never guessed. Putting the map back on my bag, I fixed my hair. It was overgrown, so I cut it a while ago, leaving only a lock to cover the scar on my left eye.

I looked up again at the sign before entering the building.

It said "Kadic Academy".


	2. Too Many Coincidences

**Really. Long. And. Boring. Chapter.**

**I have to find out how I managed to write so much.**

**But it's here. So... read it, I guess...**

* * *

_Coincidences exist._

_A lot of coincidences doesn't. That is called destiny._

--

"I told you, no entry without authorization!" The blonde secretary was uselessly wrestling with me. Wow. Some people must take their jobs really seriously.

"Yeah, sure." I shook her grip off with the ease of shaking a fly. Guess motivation doesn't give strength. I opened the headmaster's office door and heard a loud scream. On the other side, a brown-suited man was grabbing his bleeding nose and had tears in his eyes. I think he came to see what was happening and the door crashed on his nose. Ouch.

No, seriously, _ouch. _Being hit by a door is a one-way ticket to Broken Nose Land.

"What in the world is going on here? Ms. Weber, what's all this noise about?" He was looking very angry.

"M-Mr. Delmas, it's this boy, he is trying to break into your office, sir!" Yes, go on, blame the innocent kid.

Okay, maybe not so innocent, but still a kid!

"Hmph, come in." I walked in. The office was mostly empty, except for a big, filled bookshelf on the side, a polished oak desk with a big leather chair behind and a small one on front, and a brown carpet. "Take a seat." I sat on the simple but comfortable chair, facing the window. He also sat down on his brown leather chair with a soft _thump_ and looked at me seriously. "What matter brings you here?"

"I want to attend at this school."

"Hmm, at middle of the year, a youngster like you comes and breaks into my office to say he wants to attend at my school."

"Yes. My… someone recommended this school."

"You should be aware that flattering won't give you entry." I laughed for myself. Flattering, _me? _A pitiful way to small talk.

"Yes, I am. What do I need to do?"

"Well, first you have to fill…" He dived on his desk's drawers and fetched a portfolio from where he took a couple of papers. "Ms. Weber!" The secretary peeked inside and gave me a look of hatred before turning to Mr. Delmas. "Would you be kind to make a copy of these papers?" She quickly went in, grabbed the papers and left, closing the door behind her.

"Hum, Mr. Delmas…" His brown eyes crossed with my blue ones. Well, at least the uncovered one. "I'm sorry for that accident back there." He smiled kindly.

"Don't worry. Worse things happen to a headmaster, you know?" Well, I guess managing about 300 hormonal bombs and 20 or 30 grumpy teachers/staff must be worse than being hit by a door. "By the way, I don't know your name."

"Maxwell. Kevin Maxwell."

"Hmm…" the headmaster said, lost in thoughts. To break the silence, Ms. Weber entered the room with both the original files and the copies.

"Mr. Delmas? Here are the copies." He thanked with a nod and grabbed the papers. She left, again closing the door behind her. Mr. Delmas handed me the papers. "Just fill these." I took five minutes to fill it as best as I could. Finished filling the papers, I organized and handed them.

"Done. Now what?"

"Well, we have to test your aptitudes to decide the level of difficulty of your classes…"

"Wait, does that mean if I have high aptitudes I can go directly to the next grade?"

"Technically …yes." I cheered silently. Skip that boring year and go right to the next? Count me in!

Oh yeah, before I forget, make that three hundred and _one_ hormonal bombs.

"When can I do the test?"

"Maybe tomorrow. Our counsellor still has to make the test."

"So, may I, like, sleep here?"

"Hmm…" He smiled. Picking up his phone, he typed a number and waited. "Jim? Could you come here a second? Huh-hum… I'll be waiting you then." He put the phone back in its place. Not a minute after, a big, fat guy with a red sport jacket appeared by the door, panting in exhaustion.

"What's the matter, Sir?" He sounded like a soldier reporting to his general.

"We have a new student, would you mind taking him to a free room?" The fat guy looked at me, smiling slyly.

"Sure thing Sir! Come on kid!" Only knows me for a second and is already bossing around. Newscast for you Jim: you failed at the First Impression Test. _Miserably._

I picked my bag and followed him through the school while he told me the general rules. He had them memorized like (or maybe better than) the national anthem!

Which proves my point: some people _really_ take their jobs seriously.

He stopped at the front of a dim green wooden door. "And don't even try to go upstairs! That is restricted access to each and every boy at Kadic." I just nodded.

"Sure, as you say."

"Well, then, I'll come here in case I need you. Make sure you keep the room tidied!" He marched out of sight, after taking a corner.

I stepped in the room. A simple bed was on the left, facing a closet on the right. Under the window, a simple wood desk. For me, it was enough, seeing the last days were spent in misery.

I sat down on the bed, feeling tired. After a month of walking through snow-covered trails and always being cautious for the Men in Black, I was a total mess. My mind, however, was drifting far-off that subject. What intrigued me is that it felt like more, like a month and almost a week. I could even swear some days had repeated, but the calendar showed only a month had passed. I gave it to exhaustion, and considered it an illusion.

Taking a deep breath, I took of my black coat and put it on the bed. It was time to unpack, and after 15 minutes, all of my clothes were in the closet and my CD's and drawing book were carefully organized on the desk. Too bad I forgot the player. I laid on the bed for some twenty minutes, pondering about that subject, when someone knocked.

"Come in." Jim entered and immediately turned at me.

"Mr. Delmas told me to ask you if you want to do the test now." I was caught by surprise, but reorganized my expression before he noticed. I didn't have material to study, and the sooner I did it, the better.

"Okay."

"Mr. Klotz is in the library, then." He left the room and closed the door. I grabbed my coat and, left the room, silently walking out of the empty dorm. Outside, the snow was low, but still slowed my steps. I stopped and checked my surroundings. When I realized I was lost, a Japanese girl was walking by.

"Sorry, could you tell me which way is to the library?" She pointed me a building behind her, before walking away silently. "Thanks."

I went into the building, climbed up some stairs and reached the library's big doors. A man with glasses, dark brown hair and a small beard and moustache of the same colour was standing there. He was wearing a green shirt with white sleeves and collar. The sleeves were rolled up to his elbows.

"I suppose you are Mr. Maxwell." I nodded. "I'm Mr. Klotz. Come in please." I walked in behind Mr. Klotz, who guided me to a more reserved part of the room, in the back, where a small pile of papers rested on a table. "There's your test. Here, take a pen." He handed me a pen and I sat down.

The sheets were carefully identified with the subject and theme. There was a main theme for every subject, then some random questions about other themes. Really piece of cake. When I finished, I looked at the clock. Half past seven. I left the empty library after giving the papers, my steps sounding like thunder in the middle of the heavy silence.

The cold winter breeze followed me through the whole path to my room. After arriving I spent some time watching my sketches, not paying really much attention. After some minutes, Jim knocked at the door. "Come in."

"I just wanted to check if you were here. Anyway, since you are, I'll leave you." He took a second to look at my sketchbook. "You draw?" I nodded. "I probably shouldn't tell you this, but you should see Della Robbia. He also draws pretty good…" He interrupted himself after looking at the drawing. I became aware that he was looking at one of _those _drawings. I took it away from his sight.

"Anything else…?"

"Huh, no, huh, I mean… No, nothing at all! Have a good night then…" He said, before leaving the room mumbling. _Have a good night?_ He isn't the type to say good night. And what about that rambling nonsense? Why would he be so confused by seeing that sketch? With these doubts still wandering in my mind, I went to sleep.

--

A lamp's feeble light illuminated the faces of the two men, sitting by a desk.

"I hope this isn't another of your delusions."

"I assure you Sir! He had a drawing of her. Not all the details, but fairly alike!"

"That is indeed strange. How could he know her? They didn't even live close to each other."

"We don't know much about any of them…"

"Even so."

"Do you think we should tell them?"

"…No. Let's wait. Let's not be rash on our judgements. But I'll let you keep an eye on his moves." One of the men got up and left the room. The other took a deep breath and sighed. Only the first day, and already a fog of mystery.

--

Silence awoke me. Yes, _silence_. Not the soft noise of the leaves dancing with the wind nor the very sound of air travelling through the room could be heard, a mute scream deafening my ears. The night sky outside was very clear. Even the little details of the other school buildings could be noticed. I had a strange feeling about that, not very sure why.

Looking at the gates, that feeling was overran with panic, as two bald human figures in black entered the campus. My whole inside revolved with confusion. My common sense said to stay here, hidden, but my instinct told me to go investigate.

What can I say? Inside I'm an animal. And I had this strange feeling that my fear was unfounded, too.

I silently tiptoed out of the room and the dorm. They were outside, their backs turned to me as they spoke words I couldn't hear. I followed them into the forest, a black ghost following black fiends through the naked trees and the cool snow. After walking for some minutes, they stopped. In front of them was a worn out, wooden shack falling apart, its loose door screeching due to the lack of oil.

Before they entered, they slowly turned back, to my direction. I hid myself, finding strange that slowness. It was like they knew I was there but wanted me to hide. I panicked as they started walking around, each beat of my heart sounding like a drum that could give away my location, their eyes piercing the trees while searching me. As I looked to the skies, I noticed the reason for the strange sensation I felt. Although I could see everything very clearly, there was _no moon._ Not a line of moon could be seen, on a night where the stars ruled the skies.

The shack door shrieked an drove my thoughts to my enemies. They walked into the house, and I had no fear of following them. Under an open trap door, a pitch dark, narrow and damp tunnel stretched for some meters. I was guided only for the feeling of touch to the end of it, where I saw the most gruesome picture.

In the room, which was illuminated only for the candles' flickering light, a white pentagon could be seen in the ground, surrounded by a circle of the same colour. In it, two large crucifixes stood, dark figures attached to them. It felt like I was in the middle of a Satanic ritual of sacrifice. I knew who was going to be there, but made an effort not to believe.

My mother was on the left one, her head lifelessly hanging on her inert neck. The corners of her mouth were bloody, and the solid ropes had ripped the skin on her wrists, the blood sliding through her arms, dampening the sleeves.

On the right, my grandfather still had some ember of life in his body, besides all the burns and scratches on his skin. His brown suit was all ripped off, showing his old-aged, bleeding arms and chest.

"Don't forget, Kevin…" he said, compassionate eyes looking to tear-filed eyes. "Live… don't worry… about us…" As he spat his last words, bathed in blood, his head fell inert too.

Falling to my knees, I stared blankly at the black space. This couldn't have happened, there's no way… Pain and sorrow invaded my chest with tremendous velocity, each drop joining the other, quickly forming and ocean of liquid terror. When I thought my chest would explode, they directed themselves to my eyes and slipped through my cheeks, dropping limply in the ground.

Through the barrier of tears on my eyes I managed to see silhouettes highlighted on the darkness. One of them approached, holding high a shiny, sharp object, like a knife… he lowered it, pointed at me… I had no time to react…

--

I woke up, my breath as fast as my heart. That nightmare… I only hoped it didn't mean what I thought it did. In the middle of my panic, I remembered something Gramps used to tell me. If I was in panic, I should tell myself a story. I grabbed the first that came to mind.

_Kevin finally pierced the oldest witch's heart with his silver sword. Exhausted but victorious, he stepped into the tower. _

My watch's red light told me it was a quarter to seven. I got up and grabbed a towel and some other things that were already in the closet, my hands and legs always shaking, and went to take a shower. Maybe that would make me feel better.

_Inside the white tower, a golden staircase climbed the ivory walls in a spiral, each step more tiring than the last one._

The bathroom was mostly empty, except for two boys I couldn't see, but could hear. I let the warm water run through my body, trying to relieve myself from that uneasy panic feeling, my breath forced and quick, my heart pumping.

_But he didn't give up, and forced his legs to take every step with the determination of a hero. When he arrived to the top floor, the person he had been fighting for was waiting for him._

"Is she okay?" A voice I didn't recognize said.

"I dunno. I mean, she's been very quiet." Another said.

"Yeah, but you were _there_ with her, didn't you?"

"And you?"

"I was fighting Xana outside!"

"_You did it!"_

"_For you, …"_

"Oh yeah. I dunno, maybe she thinks William doesn't like her because of what he's doing all the time. But it's what I think. Maybe you should ask Yumi, she was there too."

_I can't believe it. I forgot her name!_

The bathroom door opened, and a new boy joined the others.

_It started with… a vowel, I think…_

"What are you guys talking about?" A new voice asked.

… _I know it isn't very common…_

"About what happened yesterday." The first voice answered.

_Come on, remember, dammit!_

"I'm a bit worried too. I will have a talk with Aelita after breakfast."

_Ae…lita…?_

_That's it! That's the name!_

I silently thanked the other boy, a flickering hope driving away some fear in my heart away. However, that small flame was extinguished a moment after I realized something.

…_Wait a second… How would he know…?_

_--_

I didn't have breakfast. First of all, my inwards were still revolved both by the dream and the morning revelation, and I was afraid to throw it all up. Second, a gut feeling told me I should go to the cafeteria.

You should know I rarely listen to my gut feelings.

While walking randomly across the main school building, my cape sweeping the floor, Jim came to me and gave me my schedule. Apparently, I had an almost perfect score, so they let me advance to the tenth grade. Good for me.

Really, I couldn't care less.

I had more to think about than classes. My brain had been working all morning on a single possibility that was constantly scratched away and re-thinked back, only to be scratched away again.

That guy was meeting Aelita. That was all my conscience needed to start another Kevin vs. Maxwell match.

_I mean, she must be real, right? A teenager doesn't have imaginary friends, and absolutely doesn't talk about them like he was talking about the weather. _

_Come on Kevin, wake up, isn't that a little bit too good to be truth?_

_Well, yeah Maxwell, but… Those other two were also talking about her!_

_I still say no. Kevin, come to your senses, what's the probability of them being even alike? I mean, if she's uglier or different, you'll just get disappointed, and then don't count on me to cheer you up. It's all a big bunch of coincidences._

Mr. Clark (that's my middle name for you that don't know), along with the other judges, hissed in amusement. Maxwell tripped, and his mortal enemy (and coincidently closest friend) wouldn't let such a good chance get by him.

_I believe we all agreed a long time ago that a coincidence was different from a bunch of coincidences. Thanks, Maxwell. You saved me the work of humiliating you._

_The judges haven't got the need to consult each other. I think we are unanimous by giving the victory to Mr. Kevin._

So then, I guess I'll investigate that. My thoughts were disturbed by the loud, repeating noise of the bell. I guess I'll investigate that _later_.

I went to Art class, my path cleared as the crowd of students made way for me, prying stares both for my peculiar style and unknown identity. I ignored them and kept walking. I found myself a couple of seconds late. Behind the teacher's desk I found a gray-haired man with an immaculate white lab coat over a sky blue sweater and brown pants. He looked a tad lunatic, but that's my opinion.

"And you are…?" he said, with a very heavy French accent. So heavy a person could work out with it. Hehe, bad joke. I walked further in.

"New student."

"Ah, yes, Jim talked to me about you." He then turned to the rest of the class. "Class, this is Mr. Maxwell. I hope all of you welcome him." He pointed me a random seat. "You can sit next to Miss Ishiyama."

I walked lazily to the only empty seat. I recognized the girl as the one that pointed me to the library. She looked at me with curiosity as I sat down, only to boldly question me.

"What's your name?"

"Kevin." I dryly said. She seemed the type to keep pushing, and you better give them what they want. No use resisting to them. Everybody took out some papers where they were drawing the human body. Seriously, someone really wants me to think about what happened. After some indications on what I had to do, I started and finished the drawings on half an hour, giving everything I got in every tiny detail. I worked hard. It's time for my reward.

Or it would be, if Miss Ishiyama didn't finish at the same time as me.

"So, where are you from?" Her question met my silence, and let me tell you, her question wasn't happy. "Come on, open up or I'll take you down." I couldn't help to let out a short, disguised laugh. Nobody in my fourteen years of life has _ever _taken me down. But she was insisting.

"Okay, maybe we didn't start with the right foot. I'm Yumi." She was really trying to break me up!

"Look, really, it's not the best time. I got a couple if things to think about, and your cooperative silence would be most appreciated." She sighed.

"Only one question. What's up for you to cover your eye?" I pondered about that, the memories of the last three days of old Kevin pounding my head, reminding me of what I had lost. I forced all my emotions to my covered left eye, while the right one stared at hers, an icy-blue eye looking at dark brown ones.

"It's a long story… One that doesn't bring me the best memories." I said in a serious, dark tone. She flinched lightly, mumbling an apology. Her eyes were truly sorry, anyone could see that, and that annoying little voice on my head told me to do something. "Don't worry."

"No, it's my fault, I shouldn't be so meddling…" I knew where this was going. Specifically, to one of those it's-my-fault-no-it's-mine arguments. How I hated those arguments: so much time lost for something so petty.

"I said don't worry. Make of that what you want." She smiled.

"I have a friend that's exactly like you. A complete avoider." I released an affirmation sound. "I must confess it's interesting to ask questions people can't avoid." I smiled.

"I suppose that means I shouldn't talk too much with you." But I couldn't stop. She had something that made me curious, and the conversation kept flowing naturally. I thought I had never been closer to having a friend.

The end of the class reached, and I left the room with her. She offered to introduce her friends to me, so we walked to the vending machine. Upon arriving, I took my own assumptions of who they were by her descriptions.

By the entrance a tall boy with brown hair and dark green eyes was leaning against the wall, his hands on his vest's pockets. His clothes varied through a lot of shades of green. He was relaxed, but noticeably strong. This was certainly Ulrich; Yumi's description was so detailed, I couldn't be wrong.

By the machine, a boy was getting a drink. This was Odd. She told me it was him if he screamed "purple". And she was right: his entire clothing was purple, his eyes were a of a crystal violet and even a tint of purple could be found among his blonde hair. He talked loud and acted hyper, trying to entertain his friends.

On a corner, yet another boy, this one with a sky-blue turtleneck, brown pants, blonde hair and glasses. He was entirely focused on his black laptop, checking it every two seconds. Jeremy, no doubt.

However, there was someone I didn't even need Yumi to identify.

She was standing on the corner, next to Jeremy, her short, bright pink silky hair reflecting the scarce light that entered the shack, adorning, along with a pair of shiny, forest-green eyes, her rose cheeks. From her emanated the sweet smell of freshly caught flowers, the ones that are born and grown in the wild… or it could be just my imagination. One thing, however, was for sure. My Aelita was perfect.

This one… This Aelita is an angel.

* * *

**Expect more one-line paragraphs on the end. And more action on the next chapter.**

**And I really believe in that "lot of coincidences equals destiny" stuff. Really do.**

**Ytog's out!**


	3. Second Chances

**Yep. Third chapter's up. And I changed the summary. I think it's a lot better now.**

_---_

"_If I could go back, I'd do otherwise." "Even if I could go back, I'd do the same thing." Everyone says or hears this almost every day. The question is…_

_Would we really do it?_

_---_

"Hey Kev, over here!" Odd shouted when I left my room. He was with Ulrich and Jeremy in front of Jeremy's room, and they seemed ready to go. I greeted them and silently walked behind them. After a long time (as I lost count of days) of nightmares after nightmares, ever-lasting blood, cold darkness and unbearable pain, I gave up sleeping. That, however, brought me another kind of torture: a headache so big, I'd maybe prefer the nightmares. Ulrich must have noticed because he lowered his voice when he talked to me.

"Nice jacket. It's new?" I shook my head only slightly to avoid waking up the pain, but with no avail.

"I've had it for some time now, but rarely used it." He nodded. I decided to leave the overcoat behind and switch with a shorter, deep navy blue jacket. Odd made another loud noise that I didn't try to pay attention to. Ulrich elbowed him and justified himself with my headache. Odd apologized and Jeremy tried to take me to the infirmary, but I refused, saying it was nothing. Outside, the sky had a few clouds and a cool breeze refreshed my face when we left the dorm building, making footsteps on the little snow left. Finally I had some seconds to forget that headache and-

"Ulrich dear!" And there go my seconds of peace. I'm going to kill that hysteric girl. "Good morning to both of you. You don't look too well Kevin, do you want me to take you to the infirmary?" she asked with puppy eyes. I moaned and felt sympathetic with Ulrich. Did he really stand this every day? I would have done something already, if she wasn't the principal's spoiled daughter.

"If you could just shut up for a second, please?" Sissi mumbled something and stomped away, furious. Odd laughed a bit and the other two didn't react especially. A couple of minutes later the girls arrived, first Yumi, who asked if I wanted to go to the infirmary (which I refused for the what, third time today?), then Aelita who noticed immediately I wasn't alright but still managed to talk a bit loud. The pain was growing and growing, like a scream that quickly turns into, well, a lot of screams. Millions and millions of people screaming in my head, not letting me think clearly. When I absolutely couldn't take the pain, eyes closed shut and hand holding my head, a girly voice asked for something I didn't understand, the pain clouding my senses.

"God, can't anyone just leave me alone?" I shouted, furious. When I opened my eyes, Milly and Tamiya were in front of me, shocked and Milly had even a little water on her eyes. Without saying a word they left the place running, and suddenly I felt a pain in my chest bigger than the one on my head. I still tried to go after them, but the pain was so much, the blood like acid pumping in my head, then my chest, head, chest, head…

My legs gave in and I grabbed my head, gritting my teeth and moaning in pain, doing my best to resist the urge to scream. I closed my eyelids, trying to absent my mind from everything that could make my head hurt more. While I was being dragged to an unknown place by unknown people, I only heard random screams and voices, all the other sensations overrun by the feeling of having a chainsaw cutting my head from the top down. Sometime I felt arms and hands laying me somewhere horizontally, the noise turned into a rustle of almost inaudible voices. After a sting on my arm, everything miraculously turned pitch black, the voices faded away and somebody had the excellent idea of taking the chainsaw away from me.

---

I slowly opened my eyes, finding a white ceiling in front of me, and gave a big yawn. I slept so well, a dreamless, or nightmare-less, sleep, my head clear from the gargantuan pain I had felt before and from the horror of those movie-like nightmares for the first time in many weeks, and honestly, it felt _so good._ I even had forgotten what was the meaning of a "good night's sleep". I sat on the bed and checked my surroundings for the first time. I flinched for a moment when I found Aelita on a chair, by my side.

"Hey, you woke up," she said with a smile.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, trying to sound as neutrally and non-aggressive as possible, my heart slowly accelerating in her presence as I successfully hid it.

"I came to see how you were doing, Yolanda had to do something and asked me to stay here looking for you." I nodded and a second of silence followed. "Are you alright?" Aelita asked with true concern.

"Better." She nodded and stared at the window. I thought back all the events of the morning. "Milly… Is she alright?" She looked at me kindly.

"She's a bit shaken up, but she understood why you did that." I sighed, the little voice messing with me again.

"I have to go and apologize to them." Aelita gave a short, low laugh. I looked at her questioningly and she smiled back. God, can't she do anything else, something that doesn't _fascinate_ me so much?

"I'm sorry, it's that you just don't look like the type to go apologize for a thing like that." I rolled my eyes.

"Great, now I'm a criminal 'cause I'm trying to be human." Another small smirk appeared on her lips. "Yumi also doesn't look like what she is," I dryly added.

"Maybe that's why you get along so well."

"Why, doesn't she get along with all of you?" Aelita showed me a sad, but nevertheless beautiful, smile.

"Not as well as she does with you." Just when I was about to reply, a noise was heard from the corridor. Before we could react, the door opened and the nurse fell on the ground, like dead. Aelita covered her mouth with her hand and I quickly reached the door and checked the corridor. Nobody. I gripped the door frame, frustrated, and crouched to check the nurse's pulse. Slow but steady, the blood kept running in her veins, making me sigh in relief. Just when I got up Jim ran against me and I gave a few uncertain steps backwards. Aelita helped me when I was about to fall, and Jim pointed at us.

"You! It was you who did this to poor Yolanda!" Aelita didn't respond, still trying to assimilate the little information she had.

"You have proof?" I asked, maybe a bit arrogantly. He smiled, a sly and arrogant expression. Suddenly I missed Aelita's bright smile.

"You were the only one here. And," he lifted a finger, "I have an eyewitness." Before either me or Aelita could ask who it was, a person appeared by Jim, her expression robotically empty. Not mocking, or regretful, or anything, just… empty. Aelita opened her green desperate eyes in shock.

"Yumi…"

"Now, you come with me!" Jim grabbed me and told Yumi to do the same with Aelita. Holding tightly my arms, he conducted the three of us to Ms. Meyer office, that was empty at the moment. He told Yumi to go and us to sit on the chairs there. He sat on another, facing us.

"Stay there, no talking. When Mr. Delmas comes back you'll se what's good for you…" he mumbled angrily. He picked up a nearby newspaper and started reading, blocking his vision line to us. I made silence for a few seconds, blinking and staring emptily into space, my mind trying to work. _Yumi wouldn__'__t do this, would she? Maybe to me, but certainly not to Aelita. And how could Jim be so stupid to think she could have anything to do with this?_

_Wait, now you__'__re protecting her. Think how to get out of here._

_Maxwell, what__'__s wrong with you? You can__'__t just let a lady take the blame!_

_Then think of a way to get _both _out of here, idiot._

"Hey…" I woke up. Aelita was whispering to me, cautious for Jim. "I need to get out of here. There's this thing I got to do, it's really urgent."

"How urgent?"

"Enough. Look." She pointed the window, which I looked at. People were running away from overgrown, green hornets with a lot more wings than normal and fired lasers from where their stings should be. I raised an eyebrow.

"And how do you kill those things?" She sighed impatiently.

"I got to go to a place where I have to deactivate a tower-"

"With red fog?" _Red fog?_ Can't I associate a tower with anything else? I really need a life. However, she also raised an eyebrow and nodded. "And the tower's white?" She nodded again. I sighed and started thinking of a way to get out of there. That "coincidence" would have its time. Later. "I'll see what I can do."

_Okay, thinking. That__'__s your job._

_You__'__re such an idiot. Why can__'__t we get out of here?_

… _Because of Jim?_

_Yeah. So what have we got to do?_

… _Neutralize Jim?_

_See, you can do this stuff too. Now use your creativity._

_Hmmm__…_

"Hey Jim…" He lowered the newspaper and looked me threateningly in the eyes. "I saw a spider behind you; maybe it's on your back." His look turned into a fearful one. "I can go take it out for you." He nodded slightly, scared like a child. I have to make a note of that. I got up and walked until I was behind him. "Let's see, it should be around…" I touched the back of his neck, searching a central nerve. When I found it, I pressed it lightly and he fell, unconscious, from the chair, face against the floor. "…here." I then faced Aelita. "I hope this was worth it." Aelita nodded, smiling brightly.

"It was, thank you so very much." She ran for me, gave me a slight peck on the cheek and gracefully flew out of the room. I stood there, blushing and touching the place where she had kissed me. It was still warm, I could feel the itch of her soft lips on my skin… I shook my head, recomposing myself. Later. Do all the thinking and remembering and stuff _later. _Now it isn't time to think, it's time to act. I also ran to the outside, only to find Aelita in trouble again.

She was being attacked by three of those big hornets, and took cover behind a stone pillar. She saw me and mouthed for help, desperately trying to evade the red beams. I picked up a chunk of stone from the ground, aimed at one of the hornets, threw the fist-sized pebble and hid behind a more solid pillar next to Aelita's. Upon impact, the hornet was sent against another, and both exploded. The last one was about to go around the pillar to attack Aelita directly. A sarcastic smile appeared on my face.

"I hope this is worth another kiss!" I shouted. Both human and freaky hornet looked at me. "Hey, you greenie! Think you can catch me? I don't!" A moment of silent prayer to any merciful superior entity out there, and the hornet shot a laser that didn't hit my arm for an inch. I ran away and the hornet followed me, just like I had planned. God, I hate myself and the things that a big irrational feeling of protecting others makes us do.

I ran to the park behind the school, always watching for those lasers. One hit my left shoulder, leaving a big, red burn mark that hurt like hell, and the constant itch of the scratches by the tree branches only made it worse. I found her yet again there, climbing down through a sewer entrance. After seeing her, I didn't even ask myself what she was doing in the sewers. I just sprinted and shouted "Go, go, go!" She hurried up, leaving the metal disc on the grass. I grabbed the disc, spun around myself once, then released it, aiming for the bug. The hornet was broke in half and the disc got stuck in the tree behind.

Now I could choose: go back to the school, or go help the trouble-maker whom I cherish so much and so irrationally on the sewers down there.

Madly half-climbing, half-falling down the stairs I found a very welcome and yet strangely placed skate. Getting on it, I followed the tunnel for two minutes until I reached another set of stairs, which I climbed up to a bridge that led to a big factory. The river under ran with cold water, promising a crisis of hypothermia to anyone that dived in. The abandoned factory was empty first sight, but I still entered the building to a corridor from where I saw another group of those hornets next to an elevator. I made some noise and they followed me out of the factory.

I ran and ran, my steps with less than a second gap from each other, out of the bridge into the riverbank, and into the forest, where maybe I could loose them. All that blood pumping almost kept me from noticing the vibration of my phone. I quickly grabbed it.

"Yeah?"

"Kevin, are you alright?" Jeremy asked. I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah, I'm just trying to escape five mutated homicidal hornets so I can live one more day. No biggie."

"Okay, wait a second, Aelita's almost reached the tower."

"Okay, but make it quick. She owes me something." I hung up before he could ask anything more, and then noticed my mistake. That talk had cost me some time and attention, and I was too late to notice the huge root in collision route with my left foot. After tripping and landing on my belly, I quickly turned around. The hornets had surrounded me and all of them shot a laser at different parts. My body became, for the second time that day, a shell of absolute pain, as my legs, arms and torso hurt like they were on fire. I laid down on my back, letting out small moans from the pain I couldn't contain. Opening my eyes a little bit, I noticed one of them hovering in a position from where he could make a fatal attack. The first thing that crossed my mind was _great, I__'__m going to die. _The second was_ I never had chance to collect Aelita__'__s debt. _Oh, I wanted that debt collected. So much.

I saw everything in slow motion, as the hornet swung its tail back, the tip glowing red as the laser would be. Then, just before it swung the tail forward to shoot the fatal laser, a blinding white wall engulfed us all, blinding me So I couldn't see the outcome.

---

I held my Swiss army knife, carving some random figures out of the piece of wood I had in my hand, trying to forget the huge quantities of blood that appeared in my miserable attempt of sleeping. Something told me I would have a huge headache in the morning. As the hours passed, a small fraction of the sun's light entered my room, giving new life to the small and very detailed bear in my hands. And then everything stopped.

I lived this before. Exactly the same thing. Then I would meet the boys, shout at Milly, collapse, then Aelita, Yolanda, Jim and Yumi, the green hornets, the _kiss_… Shaking my head I felt that foreseen headache, things coming together as I supposedly _remembered_ them, although they hadn't _happened _yet. After a short shower and getting dressed, time I also used to think about what happened, I left my room, the blood painfully running in my head as I tried to make up an explanation.

"Hey Kev, over here!" Odd shouted. I joined him and the others and we walked towards the exit. I was massaging my temples when Ulrich leaned to me.

"Nice jacket. It-"

"No, I got it for a long time," I dryly interrupted. He slowly retreated, seemingly amazed. Odd made another noise, Ulrich repeated the elbow and justification, and Jeremy asked me if I wanted to go to the infirmary, just like they had done... sometime before now.

"Not now, I got something to do." He also seemed surprised when he turned back to the exit. Setting foot outside, I repeated my speech to everyone until I reached the crucial moment.

"Kevin, you are new here, and some of our readers would like to know more about you. Can we ask you some questions?" Milly asked innocently with Tamiya behind her. Gathering the very little patience I had left, I forced my voice to a friendlier tone.

"I'm a little tired now, can we do that later?" Milly nodded, slightly disappointed but understanding the situation, and left to class along with Tamiya. Only when they were out of sight I added to myself "Now, to the infirmary."

I excused myself and headed to the infirmary, the headache still splitting my head in half. Yolanda gave me that medication and once again, I fell in a dark, dreamless sleep.

I woke up, already expecting to see the infirmary's white ceiling. I wasn't expecting, however, a curious and very straight-forward Jeremy.

"We have to talk."

---

"They have no use anymore."

"Is that so?"

"Actually…"

"Is it going to work?"

"It's better than straight-headed violence. And we have nothing to lose."

"I asked you, is it going to work?"

"…Yes, he'll come. Like moths to a flame."

---

**Yes, who are they? And who****'****s talking? I know. That****'****s what I hate about writing. I know everything that****'****s going to happen. No surprises for me. Yep. I****'****m depressed. I need chocolate milk. And olives. **

**Or reviews. That'd be nice too.**


	4. Like a Moth to the Flame

**So...**

**First of all, sorry for the delay (if you're liking the fic, obviously). It's just that I haven't been in the mood.**

**Second, maybe you noticed that my pen name has changed. But that's no big deal.**

**Third, there's a bit of gore halfway, but I was feeling gothic when I wrote that. And will be explained when I want it to be.**

* * *

_Give yourself away to the thrills of life. They make it fun._

_Most of the time._

_---_

"Start," I said dryly, impatiently waiting for Jeremy to start. We were in his room along with the rest of the group, all of them looking at me interestedly. Ulrich was leaning against a wall, tense and observant; Jeremy was sitting on his desk's chair with a look of concentration in his eyes, while Yumi was sitting on top of the desk, hiding her nervousness and sending me supporting stares. Odd was sitting relaxedly on the bed, like it had nothing to with him, while Aelita nervously sat on the bed's edge, bitting her lower lip. I was on the middle of the room, trying to look as cool and casual as possible, but I have to confess, it was a bit uncomfortable. Surrounded by people looking at me with such grave faces, I felt like a criminal.

"Okay. Hum, do you remember, I don't know, anything strange?" Jeremy asked with some difficulty, the words not wanting to come to him.

"Like a feeling of déjà vu?" Yumi added. I raised an eyebrow.

"And you would know about that how?" I asked, curious.

"We are the ones who ask the questions here, okay?" Jeremy interrupted before anyone else could. His voice wasn't noticeably aggressive, but had a small touch of acid. "Did you or didn't you?"

"Yes. Like I was living the same day two times."

"What was the strangest thing you saw?" Jeremy asked, his stare never leaving my eyes. I locked my eyes onto his, with much hostility as he looked to me.

"Hornets. Big, green, many wings, no legs and shot lasers." He pondered about my answer, looked at the ground for a few seconds and then turned his face to the ceiling, letting out a heavy sigh.

"You can go now." I nodded and turned around, opened the door and left the room, keeping my questions for another time. Although it is not my habit to meddle in other people's business, I couldn't resist but to stay and hear the talk.

"So guys, we tell him or not?" All the sound in that room stopped; I guess they even stopped breathing for a second, surprised at the suggestion. But that only lasted a second, and Odd got the first word.

"No. I mean, Kev's cool and stuff, but guys, you remember what happened the last time someone joined our group, don't you?"

"But he's not like William! He's not a cocky jerk, and I trust him. I say yes," Yumi replied in my defense. I felt touched with the proof of trust, but there were three more persons voting.

"Odd's got a point. And we don't know what he'll do. What if he decides to tell everyone? I say no," Ulrich stated with the emotion of a rock.

"I…" Aelita started, causing a moment of silence while they waited for her. "I say yes. I mean, he trusted me, without even knowing what I was doing, and that's enough for me. Besides, he is valuable help, and even with return trips he won't forget anything, which I must confess it's a bit strange, but I still say yes."

"Well, I say no," Jeremy said confidently. "He's got some explaining to do about the return trips, and I agree with Odd for once, last time the results weren't good. That makes three to two. No telling."

I quickly ran to my room to avoid being seen, and silently thanked the girls for the trust they had put in me. I had to get some rest; the "return trips", as they called them, needed a bit of investigation.

---

They quickly erected a third device, and laid my helplessly frozen body on top of it. I only felt the cold leather straps being tied around my wrists and ankles, the muscles in my body flacid and unsubmissive, as I felt my soul being locked away along with the rest of my body. I avoided looking sideways, because seeing the skeletons again would make the pain I was about to suffer unbearable.

The gears spinned, intertwined, in what would be a monotonous dance weren't my screams of pain entertaining them, as I felt every muscle stretching to unimaginable lenghts. Arms, legs, torax, abdomen, every mucle sending bolts of pain as I felt miserably unable to do a thing but wait for the torture to end, for death's embrace, the last embrace known by men…

An eternity followed with the same repeating scenario: the nothingness in front of me, the screech of the rusty gears pulling the ropes, the cold leather that quickly turned hot and sweaty, and the putrid smell of the skeletons beside me. And somehow I knew I would join them, wherever they were. Only the pain wasn't contant, as it grew at the same rhythm my muscles got more and more stretched.

After some time, when I thought I had realized the true meaning of "unbearable pain", the rusty gears stopped screeching, although they were still pulling. For a second, I blessed the event: the noise was so annoying, making my head hurt in a way the machine couldn't. But that only lasted a second. Because after that second, I wished with all my might to hear the rust sound again.

A new noise came in to fill the new-found silence, a sound similar to the sound of tearing up clothes. Only it weren't clothes that were being shredded apart. Along with the torturing noise, a new wave of pain came in, the one with a feeling of open wounds, the hot blood on my veins in contact with the cold air in the room. And I knew what they were doing. I wanted to be as oblivious to that knowledge as I could, but reality stroke me like a bolt, along with the pain, and I screamed.

My muscles started tearing apart.

I screamed like the miserable being I was, helpless to the force of those demons. The air tuned hot, my wounds made me scream as I was pulled apart like a rag-doll in the hands of a little boy. My shoulders made that horrible noise of living flesh being teared up, then my legs, but they never got loose. No, they were waiting for the real fun to begin. The part where my stomach was ripped in half like an old piece of paper. I closed my eyes and screamed, the pain unbearable, and when I opened them again-

A dark blue ceiling, blankets wrapped around my intact legs, as were my arms and the rest of my body, all free from restrainig leather straps and never-ending waves of pain. I breathed in and out a few times, trying to control my wild panting, and then got up to stretch my legs, glad that they weren't teared up like a sheet of paper after a ride in the triturator. I walked to the desk and grabbed my phone to check the time. 00:10 AM.

_Five minutes? _I sleep for _five freaking minutes_ and get mind tortured like I was damned to Hell? If I had slept the whole night I'd end up dying in my sleep! Frustrated, I dressed my usual clothes and sneaked out of the dorm, heading to the forest. The cool air managed to calm me down a bit, but I was still burning inside, both for the nightmare and the fact that I can't sleep _five minutes _without paying a little visit to the Devil and play a game of Poker with him. And with my life at stake.

I forced my way into the dephts of the woods, random twigs scratching my face, and all types of roots making me trip and almost fall. I wandered without route for some minutes, trying to get the anger drained from my soul by stomping the small piles of snow and dirt. And then I heard a noise, the rustling sound of something moving among the leaves, a noise that made me stop. Scanning the area with a little more attention, I discovered a clearing nearby, weakly iluminated by the stars and half-moon. But that wasn't the thing that caught my eye.

Sitting on one of the roots of a big oak, Aelita looked at the stars, apparently absent-minded. I struggled if I should interrupt or not, but ended up risking.

"Finally, I thought you'd never come," she said, not looking at me. I sat on another root, not very close to her, but close nevertheless.

"Were you waiting for me?" I asked, also not looking at her, but at the stars.

"Not specially, but company's always welcome." I gave a short laugh, and slowly my face became normal again. My doubts emerged and I thought that maybe there wouldn't be another time to ask about them.

"I thought about what happened yesterday, or today, or… whenever that was," I started nervously. That was sure to get her attention, even if it was to get an "I'd rather not talk about it". She crawled to my side, but left a space between us. "I've been trying to crack it, but there's no rational explanation." She laughed and smiled sadly, in an oh-only-if-you-knew way.

"I can give you some answers. _Some,_" she insisted. I nodded.

"What happened to Yumi?"

"She…wasn't herself." I understood she wouldn't elabrate, so I moved on.

"Let's see, you won't talk about the beasts, nor the sewers, nor the factory, or anything strange that might have happened," I counted.

"Sorry, but I can't." With resignation I searched a topic of interest among the events of that day.

"You were saying Yumi gets along with me better than with the rest of the group, but I thought Ulrich was, I don't know, her best friend or something." Aelita's face turned into a sad expression, as she started to speak.

"Don't be afraid to say it," she started. "They could be dating. However, some time ago, Yumi told Ulrich she wanted them only to be friends. And none is dealing too well with that. After that they haven't been as intimate as they were before. So I guess you come first." I nodded in the darkness and she turned her head at the stars again, exposing her neck.

"And about you?" I inquired, curious.

"She talks to me a lot, but more in a relief sort of way than a real conversation. In my opinion, she needs someone to cool down her temper. And your temper is so cold it'd freeze a volcano," she added ironically. I sensed it was the right time to ask her what I'd been wanting to ask for so long.

"Another thing. That… move, of yours, what was that for?" I asked, trying to sound as casual as possible. Aelita nervously got up, walked to the other edge of the clearing and came back while making naturally nervous gestures.

"I uh, I was thanking you, isn't it obvious?" she asked, nervous and blushing; how much, I didn't know, because the slim light showed only a smal part of the rose on her face, but she was definitely blushing.

"If you want my sincere opinion, I think it was something else," I said, also getting up.

"What then?" Aelita asked, suddenly defiant. I raised my eyebrow.

"I don't read minds. And I think I deserve another one." She assumed a bit shocked stance, putting one hand on her waist.

"And why would you want another one, Mister?"

"'Cause I saved you two other times," I replied calmly. She smiled for a few seconds before replying.

"Then I think I'll do it. But just this time," she said, smiling.

She swiftly advanced in my direction, the wind dancing around her hair as she aproached her face to mine, my heart beating at the pace of a racing horse and my face getting redder and redder, and the breathing faster. I didn't move, I don't know if by my order of because it didn't have _any_ order. Finally, our lips touched, her soft lips against my rude ones, and I stood still while she touched my face gently, her slim fingers striking the hair covering my scarred eye, the part of my face that I hated. And as we opened our eyes, I saw hers widening in surprise as she stumbled backwards.

"I'm uh, I… I have to go, I'm… I'm so sorry…" Aelita mumbled, confused and scared, and quickly fled the scene. I closed my eyes and bit my lip with so much strength and so fiercely, I thought I would rip it. After punching the tree with much strength as I could, I controlled my breath and walked out of the forest and into the streets, only one despairing thought not wanting to leave my head.

Everything was ruining up.

I couldn't sleep because of the nightmares that haunted me all night, forcing me to know the sky by heart. I almost didn't eat because of the nausea of remembering the dreams, which wasn't properly hard. And now my scar had scared away the girl I most cared for in the world. And what an impression she must have taken.

While walking low-headed in he deserted streets, a wind gust put a challenge to me, like if it was trying to make me stop and go backwards. But that didn't work, so it brought me a page of an recent newspaper that hit me right in the face. Sighing I took it away and looked at the first page, recognizing two persons there, and a pain I hadn't felt in a long time rising to my chest.

Mother.

Grandfather.

---

The graveyard's decrepit gates screeched in the wind, pushing away all the silence in the air. I shivered both from cold and antecipation while my steps echoed in the dark field. The atmosphere was heavy, like the whole graveyard had come to make a clinical analysis of each of my movements, and thousands of invisible eyes stared at me from all possible angles.

According to the rest of the news, they had died in a car accident. Apparently my grandfather was driving in the highway with my mother on the passenger's seat, they hit a gas station and the flames burned them until the end. No one could determinate if he was drunk, tired or distracted, because no one was around and they burned for some time before the owner of the station came from the bar where he had been, some five hundred meters away. They had joined the parts of the corpses that remained and use them for the funeral. Another traffic accident, absolutely normal.

Except for two little things, that possibly only I had noticed.

First, no one mentioned a son or grandson.

Second, the people were the same, but the names weren't.

Because, according to the newspaper, the deceased were Leonard and Melissa Evans. And I had never met people with such names. That made me shiver. What if it _were_ them? That meant they had been hiding something for a very long time.

Stopping among the stone plates and buried decaying corpses, I realized I had no idea were to look for. But that didn't make me wonder too much time.

"You finally came. I was getting bored out here."

* * *

****

**Fourth, Ax*insert character's name here* lovers/shippers, I'm sorry, but if you don't like it, don't read more. It's gonna get a lot worse.**

**Lastly, you can tell I like suspense, don't you?**


End file.
